Type 45 Destroyer Programme

Lord Acton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What progress has been made with the Royal Navy's Type 45 destroyer programme.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The Government have now approved the procurement of Type 45 Destroyers, in line with our firm commitment to a modern and effective destroyer and frigate force. Subject to the satisfactory completion of negotiations, a contract will be placed later this year with the prime contractor, BAE Systems, for the first three of these ships, and including some major long-lead equipment for a further three, at an estimated cost in excess of £1 billion. It is planned that the first and third ships will be assembled by BAE Systems Marine, and the second ship by Vosper Thornycroft. The first of class is expected to be launched from the BAE Systems Marine Scotstoun yard on the Clyde.
	The class is to be named the 'D' Class and Her Majesty the Queen has graciously agreed to the first of class being named HMS "Daring" and the second HMS "Dauntless". This revives two names that have served the Royal Navy well since the early 1800s.
	The ships will be equipped with the PAAMS Anti Air Missile System, a collaborative programme with France and Italy, and will provide highly effective area defence against aircraft and missiles. In addition, the Type 45 Destroyer will be a multi-role, general purpose platform capable of operations across the spectrum of tasks from peace support to high intensity warfare.
	The first of class will enter service in 2007. We expect that an order for the second batch of ships will be placed around 2004.
	Construction of these new ships will sustain up to 3,000 jobs directly in the shipyards over the next 10 years and will sustain or create almost as many elsewhere in the defence industry.

Sure Start Round 3

Lord Davies of Coity: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they plan to authorise a further round of local Sure Start programmes.

Baroness Blackstone: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment and my honourable friend the Minister for Public Health have today invited applications to set up a Sure Start programme in each of the following 65 districts in England:
	Proposed List of Districts for Sure Start Round 3
	Allerdare
	Barnsley
	Bassetlaw
	Berwick-upon-Tweed
	Birmingham
	Blackburn with Darwen
	Bradford
	Brent
	Bromley
	Bury
	Camden
	Chester-le-Street
	Chesterfield
	Darlington
	Derby
	Doncaster
	East Lindsey
	East Riding of Yorkshire
	East Staffordshire
	Ellesmere Port and Neston
	Hackney
	Halton
	Haringey
	Hartlepool
	Havant
	Havering
	Herefordshire
	Hillingdon
	Kings Lynn and West Norfolk
	Kingston upon Hull
	Knowsley
	Lambeth
	Lancaster
	Leeds
	Leicester
	Liverpool
	Manchester
	Middlesbrough
	Milton Keynes
	Newark and Sherwood
	Newham
	North Devon
	North Lincolnshire
	Northampton
	Oswestry
	Restormel
	Rossendale
	Rotherham
	Salford
	Sandwell
	Scarborough
	Sefton
	Sheffield
	Shepway
	Southend-on-Sea
	Southwark
	Stockport
	Stoke-on-Trent
	Swindon
	Tendring
	Tower Hamlets
	Warrington
	Waveney
	West Lancashire
	Wolverhampton
	We have placed a copy of the guidance for this application round in the Library.
	These 65 applications are in addition to 59 trailblazer areas, which are now delivering services to children and families, and a further 70 second wave areas, which have now submitted their plans and are on course to start delivering services from the autumn.

Educational Policy and Children's Emotional Well-being

Lord Dholakia: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any studies have been made to determine whether the measures introduced to improve standards in schools have had any impact on children's emotional well-being; and, if so, what are the findings to date.

Baroness Blackstone: No such studies have been made by my department; but we confidently expect our policies to enhance children's emotional well-being, as increasing numbers achieve their full educational potential. Failure to read, write and understand basic arithmatic hinders 7 million adults today and certainly has a detrimental effect on their everyday lives. From September 2000 schools will have a framework for the teaching of Personal, Social and Health Education.

Equal Opportunities: Promotion

Lord Dholakia: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they expect to amend the Sex Discrimination Acts to include a public duty to promote equality.

Baroness Blackstone: The Government are committed to introducing a statutory duty on public authorities to promote equal opportunities between women and men when parliamentary time permits.

Disabled People: Numbers

Lord Campbell of Croy: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many disabled people (as defined in Schedule 1 to the Disability Discrimination Act 1995) there are in the United Kingdom.

Baroness Blackstone: Figures for all adults, including those of state pension age and over, can be estimated using findings from a recent research study 1 . According to these estimates there are around 9.4 million people aged 16 and over who are covered by the DDA.
	In addition, there are estimated to be 394,000 children and young people under 16 who are disabled and therefore likely to be covered by the DDA 2 . 1 Disability Discrimination Act: Analysis of Data from an Omnibus Survey, DSS In-house Report, 30 July 1997. 2 Quality Protects: Disabled children numbers categories and families. Department of Health. http://www.doh.gov.uk/eor/children.html.

Disabled People: Numbers

Lord Campbell of Croy: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, in estimating the number of disabled people in the United Kingdom, they take account of the 1991 census which records approximately 6.5 million chronically ill and disabled people.

Baroness Blackstone: The Government use a variety of sources to estimate the number of disabled people in the UK, including census figures. The 2001 census will include a question on illness and disability, which will provide robust information on people of all ages.
	However, the census information does not take account of the number of people covered by the Disability Discrimination Act. In particular, the census figures do not indicate whether a disability has a "substantial, adverse impact on a person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities". Equally important, the census is only carried out every 10 years, so more up-to-date figures on disability need to be found from other sources.
	The Government use the Labour Force Survey to provide up-to-date disability figures on quarterly basis for all adults of working age. This involves interviewing adults from 65,000 households every quarter. Respondents are asked about health problems or disabilities that last for more than a year; whether these affect the work they might do and whether these substantially limit a person's ability to carry out normal day to day activities. This allows the Government to provide with a high degree of accuracy, the number of people of working age covered by the Disability Discrimination Act, as well as the economic activity of disabled people more generally.

Liverpool Street Station Approaches: Cleanliness

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they regard Railtrack as having kept the rail approaches to Liverpool Street Station in London adequately clean and free from litter and railway detritus; and, if not, what action they propose to take.

Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: The Government and Railtrack recognise that the rail approaches to Liverpool Street Station require attention.
	Last year, my department published a revised Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse (under the Environmental Protection Act 1990). Railtrack is subject to the code, which sets out how quickly different types of railway land should be tidied of litter and rubbish to a set standard of cleanliness. The Railways Act 1993 (Consequential Modifications) Order 1999 applies to Railtrack provisions in the Environmental Protection Act 1990 requiring statutory undertakers to clear litter and rubbish from their land. Under the order, Railtrack faces being taken to court if it does not comply.
	For its part, Railtrack has put up litter awareness posters at stations. Its contractors are required to maintain the standard of cleanliness of all track and to clear litter within timescales shorter than those required by law. Also, it is working with the Tidy Britain Group, and with the Environment Agency's Flytipping Forum, to identify ways of tracking litter and associated problems.

RDAs and National Park Authorities:Co-operation

Lord Judd: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action they are taking to ensure co-operation between Regional Development Agencies and National Park Authorities to guarantee the protection and enhancement of the purposes of national parks.

Lord Whitty: The statutory purposes of Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) apply as much in relation to the rural parts of their areas as to the non-rural parts. The statutory guidance on the preparation of RDAs' strategies states that RDAs should take account of the particular features of the region's rural areas. Supplementary policy and programme guidance has also been issued to RDAs. This provides material on rural policy, including information about the main rural partners with which RDAs will wish to co-operate, including National Park Authorities.
	Section 62 of the Environment Act 1995 also places a general duty on relevant authorities, including the RDAs as public bodies, to have regard to the statutory purposes for which the National Parks are designated. This ensures that the RDAs take account of these purposes when coming to decisions or carrying out their activities relating to or within the National Parks

Sheep and Goat Identification

Lord Ewing of Kirkford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will report progress on the proposals to introduce a requirement for the tagging or tattooing of all sheep and goats in England before they leave their holding of birth.

Baroness Hayman: Consultation documents were issued by the Government on 17 April to seek views on proposals to introduce a requirement for the tagging or tattooing of all sheep and goats in England before they leave their holding of birth. The consultation period ended on 12 June.
	We have taken account of the comments given and we now intend to introduce new Sheep and Goat identification legislation in England in early September. Given the need to ensure that the industry has enough time to order and be supplied with the appropriate tags, we have decided that the tagging and tattooing requirements of the new legislation will not take effect until 1 January 2001. We will be writing to all sheep and goat keepers with full details of the new rules shortly.

Small Animal Carcase Incinerators: Air Pollutants

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What independent research has been conducted to evaluate the levels of heavy metals, dioxins and oxides of nitrogen emitted by the burning of animal carcases in the current range of small incinerators used by farmers, veterinary practices, hunt kennels and pet crematoria; and, if there is any, how the results compare with the standards set by the draft directive on the Incineration of Waste.

Baroness Hayman: Apart from the Regulatory and Environmental Impact Assessment undertaken by ENTEC Ltd for the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions in relation to the draft Waste Incineration Directive, the Government are not aware of any independent research relating to the emission of air pollutants from small animal carcase incinerators.

BSE: Veterinary Treatment of Affected Holstein Cow

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether a full epidemiological study, to include exposure of the affected animal or her dam to veterinary medicines such as vaccines and hormone injections containing bovine tissues, organophosphate parasiticides, or feeds which were likely to have contained residues of organophosphate grain dressings, will be conducted on the four-year old Holstein cow recently found to be suffering from BSE; and whether her toxic load has been investigated.

Baroness Hayman: A full investigation of veterinary treatments is being carried out. We already know that the animals were not subject to oestrus synchronisation using pituitary extract.
	It is not possible to examine the toxic load of either the case or her dam as suitable tissues have not been retained.

Car Sales and Price Comparisons

Lord Jacobs: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Sainsbury of Turville on 26 June (WA 56), (a) what are the recommended retail prices in May 2000 of the 1.6 Ford Focus, the 1.25 Ford Fiesta and the 1.6 Vauxhall Astra taking the model that is the nearest equivalent to those chosen in the Answer for May 1999, particularly in respect of number of doors and engine size; and (b) what is the individual percentage increase or decrease of the recommended retail price compared with May 1999 for each of the three car models; and what is the average percentage increase or decrease in the recommended retail price for these cars.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Further to my Written Answer of 26 June 2000, although recommended list prices are made available to dealers, they are not publicly available. The European Commission obtained recommended retail prices for May 1999, but has not been able to obtain them for this year. However, under the draft Supply of New Cars Order 2000, which my right honourable friend the Secretary of State proposes to issue very shortly, it will be incumbent on manufacturers to notify dealers, at intervals of three months, the list price and discounts available and the volume discounts available. This will ensure greater transparency and will be beneficial to consumers.
	It is not possible completely to replicate the choice of cars cited by the European Commission in its regular price survey quoted in my Written Answer of 26 June since the Commission did not specify the precise variants that it had assessed. Therefore it should be noted that the figures below are not directly comparable with those quoted in my Written Answer.
	There are, however, unofficial sources of new car price data. According to What Car, the prices of the three models quoted, for the following registration types, have been as follows for the two years 1999 and 2000 (in this case the figures are directly comparable since they are based on vehicles with identical or near identical specifications):
	
		
			  1999 T 2000 W 
			 Ford Focus: 1.6 Zetec Estate  5 door £13,620 £14,000 
			 Ford Fiesta: 1.25 Zetec  Hatchback 5 door £9,620 £9,850 
			 Vauxhall Astra: 1.6 LS 16v  Hatchback 5 door £13,900 £13,345 
		
	
	Note: W: 3/00-8/00; T: 3/99-8/99
	The particular models shown had a 2.8 per cent, 2.4 per cent and -4.0 per cent change in price respectively. The overall change in price was 0.1 per cent.

Millennium Dome: Staff Bonuses

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the total sum that will be paid by way of bonus payments to--
	(a) managerial staff at the Millennium Dome; and
	(b) host staff at the Millennium Dome.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: New Millennium Experience Company's (NMEC) performance and retention bonus policy for employees and remuneration policy for executive board directors is detailed in its Annual Report and Accounts, which were published and placed in the Libraries of the House in July 1999. These policies reflect the fact that NMEC employees and directors are employed on fixed-term contracts and it is in the interests of the success and smooth running of the Millennium Experience that there is an incentive to maintain a high level of performance throughout. At this point in the project it is not possible to estimate accurately what the total sum payable to staff under these schemes might be.

Departmental Cars

Lord Hoyle: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 8th June (WA 173), what type and make of cars are used by the Privy Council.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: I refer the noble Lord to my Answer of 6 July (WA 148.) All cars used by the Privy Council are supplied by one Government Car and Despatch Agency.

Volatile Substance Abuse

Lord Sawyer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the most recent figures available on deaths associated with the practice of volatile substance abuse.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Statistics collected by St. George's Hospital Medical School and published today show that there were 70 deaths in the United Kingdom in 1998 associated with volatile substance abuse (VSA). Deaths in 1998 were less than half the number recorded at their peak in 1990. We take any death associated with VSA very seriously and are committed to continuing action to address this problem.
	It is particularly important that young people should know about the dangers of abusing volatile substances. We are supporting a programme that will enable general practitioners and other healthcare professionals to assist teachers in communicating health messages about the dangers of drugs and solvents. Other measures to address this issue include a campaign to inform retailers about the risks of volatile substance abuse, and their responsibilities under the law. The Department of Health is also working with voluntary organisations to develop training packages for professionals working with young people at risk of abusing volatile substances.
	The report Trends in Deaths Associated with Abuse of Volatile Substances 1971-1998 is available in the Library.

Children's Mental Health: Staff Recruitment

Lord Dholakia: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What difficulties have been encountered in the last 12 months in recruiting professionals to work in the field of children's mental health; and what steps have been taken to overcome them.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Recruitment to the National Health Service is improving. There were more doctors, nurses and therapists in 1999 than in 1998. The provision of £16 million of targeted funding in 1999-2000 to improve "core" child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) is thought to have had a significant impact on the recruitment of professional staff in this field but national workforce statistics are not yet available. The funding last year was part of £90 million being provided over 3 years to improve staffing levels and the range and quality of CAMHS.

Children's Mental Health: Staff Recruitment

Lord Dholakia: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What progress has been made in the last 12 months in increasing the number of professionals working in the field of children's mental health.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The national recruitment and retention strategy has resulted in more staff being recruited to the National Health Service. For example, the number of hospital medical staff in Child and Adolescent psychiatry increased by 3.7 per cent. between September 1998 and September 1999. The number of qualified nurses working in the NHS increased by over 5,500 between September 1998 and September 1999.

Variant Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease in Leicestershire

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many cases of variant Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease have been detected in Leicestershire since the National Surveillance programme for Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease began in 1990.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: We are currently aware of four confirmed cases and one probable case of variant Creutzfeldt Jacob Disease (vCJD) having occurred in Leicestershire. This compares with 75 known confirmed and probable cases of vCJD throughout the United Kingdom. Statistical experts advise it is unlikely that the higher number of cases in Leicestershire will have occurred by chance.
	A locally based investigation is now under way to look into the circumstances of this apparent cluster. To that end, the Department of Health, through its Regional Office of the National Health Service Executive, will be working closely with the local health authority and its public health department as well as with experts from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the National CJD Surveillance Unit, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the Communicable Diseases Surveillance Centre of the Public Health Laboratory Service.
	It is important to recognise that the cases we have identified will have been exposed to the infective agent many years ago. Control measures to protect public health from risk of exposure to bovine spongiform encephalopathy have been in place for many years and progressively strengthened over recent years, and the Government will continue to take whatever steps the experts recommend. The Food Standards Agency stands ready to assist with the investigation as necessary and will in particular wish to be satisfied that no new factor is involved in these cases which requires further action to ensure the safety of food.

Chemical Weapons Convention

Lord Judd: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which states have signed but not yet ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention; and what action they are taking to persuade such states to ratify.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The 37 states which have signed, but not yet ratified, the Chemical Weapons Convention, are as follows:
	Africa
	Cape Verde
	CAR
	Chad
	Comoros
	Congo
	Dem Rep of the Congo
	Djibouti
	Gabon
	Guinea Bissau
	Liberia
	Madagascar
	Rwanda
	Sierra Leone
	Uganda
	Zambia
	Asia
	Afghanistan
	Bhutan
	Cambodia
	Kyrgyzstan
	Myanmar
	Thailand
	Americas
	Bahamas
	Dominica
	Dominica Rep
	Grenada
	Guatemala
	Haiti
	Honduras
	Jamaica
	St Vincent
	St Kitts/Nevis
	Middle East
	Israel
	UAE
	Yemen
	Australias
	Marshall Is
	Nauru
	(W) Samoa
	The FCO, as a matter of policy, takes the opportunity, during all non-proliferation bilateral contacts, to encourage such states to ratify the CWC, particularly in regions of tension. We offer technical assistance from both the FCO and other government departments to encourage the speedy ratification and effective implementation of the convention.

Chemical Weapons Convention

Lord Judd: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which states have not yet signed the Chemical Weapons Convention; and what action they are taking to persuade such states to sign and ratify.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The 20 states which have neither signed nor acceded to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) are as follows: Africa Angola Egypt Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Mozambique Sao Tome & Principe Somalia Asia DPR Korea Europe Andorra Middle East Iraq Lebanon Syria Americas Antigua & Barbuda Barbados Belize Australasia Kiribati Palau Solomon Is Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu
	The FCO, as a matter of policy, takes the opportunity, during all non-proliferation bilateral contacts, to encourage such states to accede to the CWC, particularly in regions of tension. We offer technical assistance from both the FCO and other government departments to encourage the speedy accession and effective implementation of the convention.

Iraq

Lord Judd: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their latest evaluation of the contribution made by the continued bombing of Iraq to a long-term viable political solution.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Government Ministers have made clear on many occasions that we are not conducting a bombing campaign against Iraq. Hostilities ended with the end of Operation Desert Fox in December 1998. We have no wish to see further confrontation.
	Our aircraft continue to patrol the No Fly Zones over Iraq as they have done for the past nine years. Their presence stops Saddam Hussein from using his aircraft to attack his people, as he has done with such horrific consequences in the past. We are confident that our patrols stop Saddam from adding to his appalling human rights record.
	When threatened by Iraqi forces, our aircraft respond in self-defence. There would be no bombing if Iraq ceased its attacks on them.

Armenian Massacre, 1915

Lord Walpole: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they are willing to recognise the killing of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire of 1915 as genocide within the definition of the United Nations Convention on the prevention and punishment of the Crime of Genocide; and, if not, why not.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Government's position on this topic is well known and was discussed in the House of Lords on 14 April 1999. The British Government condemned the massacre of 1915-16 at the time and viewed the sufferings of the Armenian people then as a terrible tragedy. The current Government in no way dissents from that view. But in the absence of unequivocal evidence to show that the Ottoman administration took a specific decision to eliminate the Armenians, British Governments have not recognised the events of 1915-16 as genocide.

FCO Travel Advice Notices

Viscount Waverley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will list (a) the countries for which there are travel advisories; and (b) the date on which each advisory came into effect and (c) the reason for each advisory.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: FCO Travel Advice notices are designed to help British travellers avoid trouble abroad by providing clear, factual advice on current threats to personal safety. They draw on all the information and reporting we have on the country concerned. At present we issue notices for 163 countries. A list of these countries showing the date on which the notice came into effect is shown below. The full notices can be seen on the FCO website at: www.fco.gov.uk.
	
		
			 Country Date of Issue 
			 Afghanistan 04 July 2000 
			 Albania 12 June 2000 
			 Algeria 05 May 2000 
			 Angola 31 May 2000 
			 Anguilla 29 June 2000 
			 Argentina 3 July 2000 
			 Armenia 19 May 2000 
			 Australia 09 June 2000 
			 Austria 19 June 2000 
			 Azerbaijan 25 May 2000 
			 Bahamas 13 June 2000 
			 Bahrain 13 June 2000 
			 Bangladesh 16 June 2000 
			 Belarus 20 April 2000 
			 Belgium 28 June 2000 
			 Belize 10 May 2000 
			  
			 Benin 24 Jan 2000 
			 Bhutan 23 May 2000 
			 Bolivia 02 May 2000 
			 Bosnia and Herzegovina 28 March 2000 
			 Botswana 03 March 2000 
			 Brazil 31 May 2000 
			 Brunei 13 June 2000 
			 Bulgaria 03 March 2000 
			 Burkina Faso 28 June 2000 
			 Burma 25 May 2000 
			 Burundi 17 May 2000 
			 Cambodia 15 May 2000 
			 Cameroon 07 June 2000 
			 Central African Republic 07 June 2000 
			 Chad 07 June 2000 
			 Chile 28 June 2000 
			 China 20 April 2000 
			 Colombia 27 June 2000 
			 Comoros 5th July 2000 
			 The Republic of the Congo 22 March 2000 
			 The Democratic Republic of  the Congo 30th June 2000 
			 Costa Rica 03 April 2000 
			 Cote d'Ivoire 06 July 2000 
			 Croatia 03 April 2000 
			 Cuba 07 July 2000 
			 Czech Republic 08 June 2000 
			 Djibouti 23 June 2000 
			 Dominican Republic 08 June 2000 
			 East Timor 09 March 2000 
			 Equador 10 April 2000 
			 Egypt 18 May 2000 
			 El Salvador 28 June 2000 
			 Equatorial Guinea 08 June 2000 
			 Eritrea 23 June 2000 
			 Estonia 23 March 2000 
			 Ethiopia 23rd June 2000 
			 Fiji 07 July 2000 
			 France 05 July 2000 
			 Gabon 07 June 2000 
			 The Gambia 06 June 2000 
			 Georgia 25 May 2000 
			 Ghana 02 June 2000 
			 Greece 08 June 2000 
			 Guatemala 16 May 2000 
			 Guinea 13 June 2000 
			 Guinea Bissau 13 June 2000 
			 Guyana 13 June 2000 
			 Haiti 17 May 2000 
			 Honduras 04 April 2000 
			 Hong Kong and Macau 31 May 2000 
			 Hungary 12 June 2000 
			 Iceland 23 June 2000 
			 India 19 June 2000 
			 Indonesia 12 June 2000 
			 Iran 31 March 2000 
			 Iraq 22 May 2000 
			 Israel and the Palestinian  Authority 26 May 2000 
			 Italy 08 June 2000 
			 Jamaica 12 April 2000 
			 Japan 17 April 2000 
			 Jordan 30 March 2000 
			 Kazakhstan 17 March 2000 
			 Kenya 23 June 2000 
			 Kiribati 14 February 2000 
			 Democratic People's Republic  of Korea 09 February 2000 
			 Kuwait 25 May 2000 
			 Kyrgyzstan 03 July 2000 
			 Laos 05 July 2000 
			 Latvia 09 June 2000 
			 Lebanon 02 June 2000 
			 Lesotho 19 June 2000 
			  
			 Liberia 26 May 2000 
			 Libya 07 June 2000 
			 Lithuania 04 April 2000 
			 Macedonia 07 July 2000 
			 Madagascar 05 July 2000 
			 Malawi 08 June 2000 
			 Malaysia 24 May 2000 
			 Maldives 25 May 2000 
			 Mali 13 June 2000 
			 Malta 27 June 2000 
			 Mauritius 28 April 2000 
			 Mexico 29 June 2000 
			 Moldova 12 June 2000 
			 Mongolia 08 June 2000 
			 Montserrat 19 May 2000 
			 Morocco 26 May 2000 
			 Mozambique 27 April 2000 
			 Namibia 18 April 2000 
			 Nepal 15 May 2000 
			 Netherlands 09 June 2000 
			 New Zealand 05 July 2000 
			 Nicaragua 05 June 2000 
			 Niger 25 February 2000 
			 Nigeria 26 June 2000 
			 Oman 12 April 2000 
			 Pakistan 16 June 2000 
			 Panama 30 June 2000 
			 Papua New Guinea 19 June 2000 
			 Peru 26 June 2000 
			 Philippines 22 June 2000 
			 Poland 07 April 2000 
			 Portugal 16 June 2000 
			 Qatar 29 March 2000 
			 Romania 08 June 2000 
			 Russia 17 May 2000 
			 Rwanda 16 June 2000 
			 Samoa 15 March 2000 
			 Saudi Arabia 19 June 2000 
			 Senegal 13 June 2000 
			 Seychelles 29 March 2000 
			 Sierra Leone 28 June 2000 
			 Singapore 12 June 2000 
			 Republic of Slovakia 15 May 2000 
			 Republic of Slovenia 12 June 2000 
			 Solomon Islands 05 June 2000 
			 Somalia 25 May 2000 
			 South Africa 23 June 2000 
			 Spain 28 June 2000 
			 Sri Lanka 16 June 2000 
			 Sudan 16 May 2000 
			 Swaziland 17 April 2000 
			 Syria 19 June 2000 
			 Taiwan 13 June 2000 
			 Tajikistan 03 July 2000 
			 Tanzania 11 April 2000 
			 Thailand 05 July 2000 
			 China (Tibet) 25 May 2000 
			 Togo 09 June 2000 
			 Trinidad and Tobago 30 March 2000 
			 Tunisia 20 April 2000 
			 Turkey 09 June 2000 
			 Turkmenistan 03 July 2000 
			 Turks and Caicos Islands 26 May 2000 
			 Uganda 21 June 2000 
			 Ukraine 16 May 2000 
			 United Arab Emirates 25 May 2000 
			 United States 25 May 2000 
			 Uruguay 28 March 2000 
			 Uzbekistan 03 July 2000 
			 Venezuela 08 June 2000 
			 Vietnam 28 June 2000 
			 Western Sahara 19 June 2000 
			 Yemen 14 April 2000 
			  
			 Federal Republic of  Yugoslavia  (Serbia (inc Kosovo) and  Montenegro 19 May 2000 
			 Zambia 26 April 2000 
			 Zimbabwe 07 July 2000

Human Rights: Sanctions and Dialogue

Lord Blaker: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 12 June (WA 188), whether they will list, by name, the countries whose human rights performance they consider to be unsatisfactory and against which the United Kingdom is currently implementing sanctions, whether under a United Nations, European Union or national regime.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The UK currently implements mandatory UN sanctions in relation to Iraq, Angola (UNITA), Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Afghanistan (the Taliban), Ethiopia, Eritrea and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. UN sanctions against Libya have been suspended.
	In addition, we implement EU sanctions in relation to Afghanistan, Bosnia, Burma, China, Croatia, the DRC, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Libya and Sudan.
	The UK also implements the OSCE arms embargo on Azerbaijan and Armenia, and national arms embargoes on Iran and Zimbabwe.
	The sanctions are imposed on various grounds, for example as a response to a conflict which constitutes a threat to international peace and security.
	We have some concerns about the human rights situation in most of these countries.

Human Rights: Sanctions and Dialogue

Lord Blaker: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 12 June (WA 188), whether they will list, by name, the countries whose performance in regard to human rights causes them concern and with which they pursue a policy of political dialogue in an attempt to improve that performance.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Wherever developments give rise to human rights concerns, we take every realistic, responsible step to pursue those concerns. This means we discuss human rights issues with the majority of countries in the world as the need arises. We do not keep a fixed list of countries that we engage with in order to promote human rights. We follow closely the full range of human rights issues in each country and raise human rights with other governments in response to developments. Nor do we adopt a one-size-fits-all approach to responding to human rights concerns. We take the approach most likely to help the people whose rights have been abused, and engage with other governments whenever and wherever that can contribute to improvements on the ground.

Government Annual Report

Lord Sewel: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they will publish the Government's annual report.

Baroness Jay of Paddington: The Government's annual report was published today. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House and are available in the Vote Office.

Hereditary Peers Sitting in the House of Lords

Lord Monson: asked the Leader of the House:
	How many hereditary peers (of any category) were entitled to sit and vote in the House of Lords in July 1999 are still entitled (however now designated) to sit and vote in the House of Lords in July 2000; what proportion they form of the hereditary peers who had taken the Oath and were not on leave of absence in July 1999; and what proportion they form of the current House.

Baroness Jay of Paddington: There are presently 109 hereditary peers entitled to sit in the House of Lords, 92 under the House of Lords Act and 17 through the conferment of life peerages. They represent about 18.5 per cent of hereditary peers who had taken the Oath and were not on leave of absence in July 1999 and form 15.5 per cent of the current House.

Tobin Tax

Lord Jenkins of Putney: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will consider adopting the Tobin Tax Initiative to enable the maintenance of a comprehensive welfare state.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The Government support the principle of stable international financial markets. However, it would be practically impossible to achieve global coverage and there would be huge scope for avoidance. The Government believe the reforms to the international financial architecture, as set out in the G7 Finance Ministers' report from Cologne last June, can better achieve stable capital flows. A measure such as the Tobin tax could also introduce economic distortions to the international financial system.

Afro-Caribbean and Asian Population Numbers in UK

The Earl of Listowel: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What percentage of the population of the United Kingdom is composed of:
	(a) men of Afro-Caribbean ethnic origin;
	(b) women of Afro-Caribbean ethnic origin;
	(c) men of Asian ethnic origin; and
	(d) women of Asian ethnic origin.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter to the Earl of Listowel from the National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales, Office for National Statistics, Mr Len Cook, dated 13 July 2000.
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Question on the proportions of men and women of Afro-Caribbean and Asian ethnic origin in the United Kingdom.
	Annual estimates of the population by ethnic group are only available for residents in private households. They are made using data from the Labour Force Survey (LFS), a sample survey in which respondents living in private households are asked to select from a list of ethnic groups the one to which they consider they belong.
	The attached table gives the estimated numbers of men and women aged 16 and over in minority ethnic groups that include those of Afro-Caribbean and Asian origin--and the percentages they form of the population of men and women aged 16 and over in private households in the United Kingdom.
	
		Estimated minority ethnic populations, living in private households, 1999, United Kingdom
		
			  Estimated number (thousands) aged 16 and over in private households Percentages 
			 Ethnic group Men Women Men Women 
			 Total ethnic groups  (including White)(1) 22,694 23,794 100.0 100.0 
			 Afro-Caribbean 210 239 0.9 1.0 
			 Black--Caribbean 180 203 0.8 0.9 
			 Black--Other (non-mixed)(2) 30 36 0.1 0.2 
			 Asian 789 790 3.5 3.3 
			 Indian 356 356 1.6 1.5 
			 Pakistani 219 206 1.0 0.9 
			 Bangladeshi 87 73 0.4 0.3 
			 Chinese 53 63 0.2 0.3 
			 Other--Asian (non-mixed) 74 93 0.3 0.4 
		
	
	Source:
	Labour Force Survey.
	(1) Includes Not Stated.
	(2) Black--Other (non-mixed) cannot be further disaggregated and may include a number of people who are not of Afro-Caribbean ethnic group.

Financial Services and Markets Bill

The Earl of Northesk: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answers by Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 24 May (WA 86) and 7 June (WA 159), whether any public Bill in the last 30 years has been subject to more government amendments in each House (both tabled and made) than the Financial Services and Markets Bill; and, if so, which Bills.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.